HERE topples Google to become the #1 location platform! Thanks to you, developers!

There are plenty of awards out there, but this one really hits home. For the first time, HERE Technologies surpassed Google to become the world’s leading location platform in a highly competitive and dynamic industry.

According to its latest biannual report, Location Platform Index: Mapping and Navigation, the industry-leading research and consulting firm Ovum ranked HERE number one after assessing 14 other vendors according to mapping and technology offerings as well as developer relations and outreach.

I couldn’t be more excited to say our efforts in building and scaling the developer community with an embrace of a developer-first mentality was what made the difference.

For the last three years, HERE outscored all of our market competitors in overall “completeness.” This year, we scored the highest in overall ranking thanks to a few exciting advancements in our developer relations program, including the introduction of our Freemium plan for developers.

To me, the award acknowledges something we’ve known all along: that you, the developer, are the cornerstone, the fundamental part that defines the success of any platform. We at HERE not only understand this, we’ve embraced it. It’s been an effort to convince, not confuse, our community, and we’re proud that Ovum took notice. We have simplified our pricing model — not only have we made it effortless to get started, but we’ve also removed any barriers to get started. No credit card required, no long account creation and no head scratching to figure out pricing — all the APIs, are the same price all the time. Simple!

Ovum seems to agree, writing in their report:

“HERE’s new developer hub and pricing model will help it gain further traction with developers, particularly given the dissatisfaction with the controversial new pricing policy for Google Maps.” Analysts Eden Zoller and Charlotte Palfrey add that the plan “appears more developer friendly and competitive than the new Google Maps model, which should play to HERE’s advantage and bring long term benefits in terms of HERE’s reach.”

We believe it all comes down to people. So, if this latest award from Ovum is any indication, it means we’re doing something right. But how can we maintain that momentum in our mission to empower every developer to succeed and enjoy using the HERE location platform?

Look for more onboarding improvements, better developer dashboards, and a slew of new products next year. I’m super excited about the future, one that will see us branching out from location services to a fully integrated open location platform.

It feels great to be recognized for our maturing developer program by a world-class player like Ovum. It’s certainly a testament to all the hard work at HERE and beyond. So, let’s take a moment and enjoy the score, but remember that we’re focused on moving forward with your help. When you’re powering an autonomous world, no one can do it alone. This conversation is just getting started!